Masachika Ichimura

Masachika Ichimura (市æ' 正親, Ichimura Masachika, born January 28, 1949) is a stage actor, film actor, television actor and voice actor of Japan. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama and studies at Theater Art College in Tokyo after graduating high school. He is best known to Western anime fans as the original voice of Mewtwo. He is married to singer Ryoko Shinohara.

Career

In 1973, he made his debut as actor with Jesus Christ Superstar and became one of top actors of Shiki Theatre Company since then. He appeared in various musical plays as West Side Story, Equus, Cats, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera. Besides he played the role of Shylock of The Merchant of Venice.

In 1990, he left the company and now signs up for Horipro. In 2013, he played the role of Tokugawa Ieyasu in "Anjin: The Shogun and The English Samurai" in London.

In 2014, he cancelled the performance in Miss Saigon because of initial stomach cancer but in November of the year, he finished the treatment and returned to the theatre.

Roles

Movies

• The Hotel Venus (2004) - Venus
• Thirteen Assassins (2010) - Kitō Hanbei
• A Ghost of a Chance (2011) - Tsukutsuku Abe
• The Floating Castle (2012) - Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• Thermae Romae (2012) - Hadrian
• Thermae Romae 2 (2014) - Hadrian

Television dramas

• Shishi no jidai (1980) - Okonogi Kyōhei
• Furuhata Ninzaburō (1999) - Nao Kuroikawa
• HR (2002) - Masachika Jin'no
• Mayonaka no Andersen (2002)
• Castle of Sand (2004) - Yuzuru Asō
• Order Made (2004)
• My Boss My Hero (2006) - Kichi Sakaki
• Bambino! (2007) - Tekkan Shishido
• Hatachi no Koibito (2007) - FÅ«ta Suzuki
• Gō (2011) - Akechi Mitsuhide
• Young Black Jack (2011) - Dr. Jotaro Honma

Musicals

• Jesus Christ Superstar - King Herod
• West Side Story - Bernardo
• Equus - Alan
• Cats - Rum Tum Tugger
• The Phantom of the Opera - Erik, The Phantom of the Opera
• Tanz der Vampire - Professor Abronsius
• Miss Saigon - The Engineer
• Fiddler on the Roof - Tevye
• Evita - Che
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - Freddy Benson
• Sweeney Todd - Sweeney Todd
• La Cage aux Folles - Albin/Zaza

Plays

• The Merchant of Venice - Shylock
• Anjin: The Shogun and The English Samurai - Tokugawa Ieyasu

Theater animation

• Jack and the Beanstalk (1974) - Jack
• Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) - Mewtwo
• Giovanni's Island (2014) - Tatsuo Senō

Television animation

• Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns (2000) - Mewtwo

OVA

• Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005) - Red XIII

Video games

• Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) - Mewtwo
• Kingdom Hearts (2002) - Jack Skellington
• Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004) - Jack Skellington
• Kingdom Hearts II (2005) - Jack Skellington
• Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (2011) - Bronev Reinel
• One Piece: Unlimited World Red (2013) - Patrick Redfield
• Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (2013) - Bronev Reinel

Dubbing

• The Nightmare Before Christmas - Jack Skellington
• Strings - Kahro

Puppetry

• Sherlock Holmes (2014) - Jonathan Small

References

External links

Masachika Ichimura at Anime News Network's encyclopedia Masachika Ichimura at the Internet Movie Database